“(A) wonderfully detailed biography about the remarkable state leader, the first woman elected governor of any state in her own right and a posthumous recipient of the Medal of Freedom. … The book provides great insight to Grasso's career and mindset…”—Ray Bendici, Connecticut Magazine

Intimate portrait of Connecticuts first female governor

When Ella Tambussi Grasso ran for governor of Connecticut in 1974, she had not lost an election since she was first voted into the state’s General Assembly in 1952. The people of Connecticut chose her as the nation’s first woman to be elected governor in her own right—the capstone of a long and successful career dedicated to public service, effective government, and the democratic process. During her tenure as governor, Grasso’s leadership was tested in the face of fiscal problems, state layoffs, and budget shortfalls. The daughter of Italian immigrants, she endeared herself to her constituents during the great Blizzard of 1978, when she stayed at the State Armory around the clock to direct emergency operations and make frequent television appearances. Author Jon E. Purmont, who served as Grasso’s executive assistant when she was governor, draws on his diary from that time, research in Grasso’s archives, and interviews with Grasso’s family and friends to give us a rich and intimate portrait of this political pioneer.

“Ella Grasso was a woman of great character—dedicated, principled, warm and generous. Jon Purmont’s biography gives us a rich portrait of the woman who became a role model for so many.”—Walter F. Mondale

“Ella Grasso was a force of nature. As the first woman in the country to win a gubernatorial election in her own right, she showed the way for the rest of us to seek and win elections. She was wonderful!”—Barbara Bailey Kennelly, former Connecticut Congresswoman

JON E. PURMONT is an emeritus professor of history at Southern Connecticut State University. His articles have appeared in Connecticut Review and Connecticut Explored, and he is coauthor of A Concise History of the United States.

A Driftless Connecticut Series Book

This book is a 2012 selection in The Driftless Connecticut Series,
for an outstanding book in any field on a Connecticut topic
or written by a Connecticut author.
The Driftless Connecticut Series is funded by the
Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund
at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.